Union sets October 16th strike deadline in college contract dispute

Teachers at Niagara College along with their colleagues around the province could hit the picket lines on Monday.

The union representing the teachers has set a strike deadline for 12:01 am on October 16th.

In a media release, OPSEU says the date was set after the College Employer council walked away from the bargaining table

The head of the union's bargaining team J.P. Hornick says the goal of setting a strike deadline "is to get negotiations moving before it's too late.''

OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas has cautioned the College Employer Council to get back to the table and not wait until the last minute to negotiate.

Thomas says “Students already have enough to worry about with their courses and exams and tuition fees. They don’t need the stress and anxiety of not knowing if they will be in class next week. I encourage the colleges to get down to business now.”

Federal officials have rejected requests from more than 1,500 organizations for funding through the government's premier summer jobs program, a 12-fold increase since the Liberals added new criteria for funding that have drawn the ire of faith-based groups.